Daily updates about Syria

7/14/2014

The Syrian opposition is waiting for the USA to give it a hearing about a plan to remove the Islamic State from Syria and protect civilians in rebel-held areas. The plan calls for first kicking them out of Aleppo province, followed by al-Raqqa. Nour Kholouf, a defected Syrian general, said if he was provided the weapons and ammo he could field around 100,00 men. He also said that he has around 3,000 defected officers available. He noted that they have already been pushing the IS out of several areas, such as Aleppo, Rif Dimashq, Latakia, Idlib, and Hama over the last 15 days, but that they need outside aid. He specifically said a no-fly zone needs to be established or anti-air weapons given to the rebels so that they can keep government planes from attacking rebel forces that are attacking the IS.

The US currently gives weapons directly to the commanders of 14 groups in northern Syria, and to 3 or 4 in the south, circumventing the opposition’s civilian leadership.

Jordan is reportedly reluctant to expand the CIA-led rebel training program, fearing violent retribution from Syria and because of the larger number of USA troops that would be required. Currently Jordan has 600,000 Syrian refugees and 1,300 USA soldiers.

The IS took control of rebel-held areas of Deir Ez Zor, leaving the city divided between IS and government forces. Rebels either fled the city or gave allegiance to the IS. Jabhat al-Nusra’s chief of the city was killed during negotiations with the IS on the al-Syasia bridge.

Civilians held demonstrations in the city against any alliance with the IS and called for them not to enter the western countryside of the city.

Government forces are continuing their push to take Mleha just outside of Damascus. Yesterday a “senior military official” had told Xinhua News that the government had taken the city, but the claim turned out to be false.

9 Islamic fighters were killed fighting attacks by government forces, which included air-strikes, surface-to-surface missiles, and ground assaults.

Fighting between Arsal and Ras al-Ma’ara in Qalamoun has killed 7 Hezbollah fighters and 9 Islamic fighters in the last day. 31 Hezbollah fighters have been injured, while 23 Islamic fighters have been injured. Additionally, 14 Islamic fighters were captured.

Dead Hezbollah fighters on a rebel ATV.

3 government fighters were killed in Taibi, Rif Dimashq.

1000 aid baskets were delivered to the city of M’addameyyat al-Sham in Rif Dimashq.

Jabhat al-Nusra said that they will not set up a Caliphate until they can reach a consensus among fighters and Islamic scholars. However, they said that they will set up courts, security offices, and general services within the next 10 days.

The IS detonated the Abd al-Kader al-Jelani Shrine in Kherba, Hama province. They also killed the shrine guard and his son.

4 civilians were killed by a barrel bomb on the al-Ferdous neighborhood of Aleppo.

6 civilians were killed in the IS-held town of Der Hafer, Aleppo, by a barrel bomb.

Jabhat al-Nusra and the Islamic Front have signed an agreement to continue cooperating during fighting in Aleppo.

13 IS fighters and an unknown number of civilians were killed by a car bomb in al-Mayadeen, Deir Ez Zor, on the al-Makef checkpoint.

The IS executed 4 people in Deir Ez Zor, 1 of which was a defected Syrian lieutenant and 1 other of which was a defected Syrian soldier, on charges of meeting with the opposition Chiefs of Staff and of creating anti-IS cells.

The UN Security Council approved a measure allowing cross-border aid to people in rebel-held areas without permission from the government. The government has refused to allow cross-border aid and has threatened to attack cross-border aid convoys. The measure lasts for 180 days and designated 4 rebel-held checkpoints as crossing areas. 2 in Turkey, 1 in Iraq, and 1 in Jordan.

Ahmad Jarba, the former president of the Syrian National Coalition, reportedly said that he regrets his support of Dr. Ahmad Tomeh, the president of the Interim Government, and that it is time to overthrow him with a vote of no confidence.

A rocket fired from Syria hit the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The Israeli military responded with artillery fire on Syrian military posts.

An Islamic Front video about the first rebel sniper training camp in Syria. Unfortunately there’s no subtitles:

10 people were killed and an unknown number injured by an IS car bomb at the entrance to a YPG camp on the road between Tal Tamir and Ras al-Ein in Hasakah.

Defected government soldiers from the Ain Qaree’a checkpoint near Wadi al-Dayf.